Lawyers must learn paying proper salaries to youngsters: CJI Chandrachud

Lawyers must learn to pay proper salaries and emoluments to the youngsters who enter their chambers to learn, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has said  In an interview with the All India Radio, Chandrachud said the legal profession is a difficult one where the foundation laid in the initial years keeps the young lawyers in good stead throughout their careers.

"There are always ups and downs in a profession. Initially, the amount you make at the end of your first month in the legal profession may not be very high," the CJI said.

So it is important to encourage the first timers to hang in, put in the hard work, and be sincere in what they do, Chandrachud said.

"Equally, our structures must change as well. For instance, lawyers must learn how to pay proper wages, salaries and emoluments to the young lawyers who enter their chambers," he said.

"Youngsters come to their chambers to learn. They also have a great deal to share, so it is a two-way process of absorption and sharing and mentorship which we have to provide to the younger lawyers," the CJI added.

Chandrachud also recalled his days as a presenter in the All India Radio during his college days in Delhi.

The CJI said his mother, a classical musician, often took him to the AIR studios in Mumbai when he was in third or fourth standard. Later, after moving to Delhi in 1975, he auditioned for Akashvani and began hosting programmes in Hindi and English.

He also recalled how he grew up listening to AIR bulletins in Hindi, English and Sanskrit with his parents, getting enchanted by the iconic voices of Devki Nandan Pandey, Pamela Singh and Lotika Ratnam.